According to various news outlets, Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring later this year to fight World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Michael Koncz, the Filipino boxing star’s manager told the Los Angeles Times the news on Wednesday.
(Photo Credit: nuevaya.com)
“Retirement doesn’t suit Manny right now,” Michael Koncz said. “It is amazing what training and fighting does for him.”
Unified super lightweight champion, Terence Bud Crawford was popularly thought to be the next opponent for Pacquiao at 140lbs. Crawford said as much after his last fight, a pay-per-view win against Viktor Postol on July 23rd.
Pacquiao (58-6-2) is slated to meet with his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank on August 9 but stated, “nothing is final yet,” to AFP through a spokesman.
The Pinoy star announced he was retiring from boxing after defeating Timothy Bradley on April 9, to focus on his political career. He was elected to the Philippine Senate in May. The eight-division world champion flipped the script and announced several weeks ago that he would fight again and his next fight will be on November 5, Arum said.
Arum is looking at holding the fight in Las Vegas or Dubai tweeting last week that he was talking to a group from the Middle East that wants to host the event.
Vargas (27-1-0) revealed last Friday that he is in talks with Pacquiao’s camp to hold a fight on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center arena in Las Vegas.
Koncz told the Times that he would travel with Arum to the Philippines next week to meet with Pacquiao and pick a site.
